


Freedom From Libertia

by Fire_Bear



Series: Libertia [1]
Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: (but mostly not shown), (mainly talked about), Boats and Ships, F/M, Fantasy, Fluff and Angst, Heavy Angst, M/M, Magic, Magic-Users, Mermaids, Mermen, Merpeople, Princes & Princesses, Revolution, Revolutionaries, Royalty, Sailing, Sea witches, War, mentions of abuse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-04
Updated: 2017-01-04
Packaged: 2018-09-14 15:12:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 19,270
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9188072
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fire_Bear/pseuds/Fire_Bear
Summary: The King and Queen of Libertia love to spoil their son. However, they find themselves at a loss as to what to get Alfred for his sixth birthday. The prince asks for a surprise - and he never expected he would get a merboy as a present...





	1. A Present For You

As a prince, Alfred was used to getting his own way. The combination of his winning smile, large blue eyes, and cheerful demeanour, he was often given anything he asked for, whether it was a special occasion or not. The cooks would slip him chocolate and sweets, the maids would clear up any messes he made before he was discovered, the gardeners made sure the lawn was trimmed just right for him to play. In his room, he had teddies and toy soldiers, fake horses and fake swords. He had his own horse and sword, as well, of course.

So, when Alfred was nearing his sixth birthday, his parents were unsure what to get for him. What do you get a small prince who has everything at his fingertips? They ventured to ask him, three weeks beforehand and the answer, said with a large grin and a laugh, was a 'surprise'. And so, a surprise they got for him.

Little Alfred rose early on his birthday and, after dressing in his favourite blue tunic, he skipped down to the kitchen. There he managed to talk the cook into giving him some toast before he hurried off to the dining room for his proper breakfast. He was pleased to see piles of bacon and pancakes as well as boxes and parcels waiting for him.

However, after ripping into them he found that it was much the same things as the years before. Teddies and toys. Not that he complained – in fact, he beamed up at his parents and told them how much he loved every single present. But he had been expecting something much bigger, much more _epic_.

Finally, they finished their breakfast and opening presents and his parents turned to him. "We have one more present, Al," said his father, smiling at him.

"Really?" cried the child, excitedly bouncing in his seat.

"Yes. Follow us." Obediently, Alfred did so, passing through the endless halls with their tapestries and murals and history. Eventually, he realised that they were heading to his room and he frowned, confused. Before he could say anything, his father scooped him up and grinned at him. "Close your eyes now." Alfred pouted but did as he was told. He bounced in his father's grip as the man walked until, finally, he was set down. "Now, open them!"

When Alfred did so, he gazed in shock at the huge container which now resided in his room. His parents must have had it installed while he was at breakfast. The container was made of glass and was tall, attached to both the floor and the ceiling. It seemed to be filled with water. But none of this was as surprising as what was inside it.

A boy his own age floated within it, his blonde hair dark from the water, floating around him like a halo. His thin arms shifted slightly as he bobbed. However, it was not an ordinary boy. His waist merged with what appeared to be a large fish tail. It was a beautiful tail, a brilliant, shining green. Alfred's eyes returned to its face and he frowned. The boy's eyes were closed and its head lolled as he drifted in the water. "Is it dead?" he asked.

"No, no. We would never give you something that was dead, darling," said his mother with a smile. "He's just unconscious."

His father knelt on one knee so that he could look into his son's eyes. "Now, when it awakes, it will be disoriented and unhappy. But I'm sure it'll grow to love you like we do. Us and Prince."

At the mention of his cat, Alfred tilted his head. "So he's a pet?"

The King and Queen glanced at each other. "Well... Yes, if that is what you want to call it."

For a few quiet seconds, Alfred stared at the creature, wide-eyed. "Wow," he eventually breathed and his parents let out their own breaths in relief.

"We'll leave you to your games, dear," said his mother. "We have a big party to organise, after all."

Alfred grinned up at them as they left, his father pausing to ruffle his hair. When they were out of sight, he turned to the glass cylinder and wondered how long it would be before the merboy woke up. Turning to the pile of toys that had been brought from the dining room by the unnoticed maid, he decided to occupy his time until the thing woke up.

* * *

An hour later, Alfred had played with all of his new toys at least once. However, the merboy had still not awoken and the young prince was getting impatient. He wanted the creature to do something. It was there for his amusement, after all.

With an annoyed grunt, he got to his feet, abandoning his shiny, new toy soldier. He strode across the room, his head held high like his father did. At the glass barrier, he frowned at it before rapping on the glass. "Hey! Wake up!" he demanded.

In the water, the boy's eyelids flickered, its eyelashes hitting its cheeks. Alfred jolted in surprise – he hadn't really expected that to work. Taking a small step back, he stared at the wakening thing. The merboy blinked before its eyes blearily opened and Alfred could finally see the colour of its eyes. They matched its tail in both colour and brilliance and, for a brief second, he considered that he was staring into a pair of fish scales.

Then the merboy's eyes widened and it tried to swim backwards, hitting the back of the cylinder with a dull thud. A small noise escaped his lips – perhaps it was a cry of alarm – and the creature turned around. Clearly confused, its arms came up to feel at its glass prison. Then it swam up and down, its arms feeling at the glass. Twirling around, distressed noises slipped past its lips, its arms hitting the glass with small thumping noises. Despite its distress, its movements looked elegant, like the women at the balls his mother insisted he attend.

"Hey," Alfred said once again and gained the attention of the thing. He flinched slightly as those wide eyes were turned to him, confused and pleading.

"Wh-What...? Who are you?"

"I am Prince Alfred of Libertia," said the boy, drawing himself up to his full height. "And you're my birthday present."

At these words, the merboy shrank away, pressing himself against the glass. "Y-You... Why haven't you killed me yet?"

Alfred was taken aback. "Killed? Why would I do that? That would be like killing Prince."

"Who?" asked the merboy, baffled.

"My cat," explained Alfred.

There was a brief pause. "Cat? Is that an animal?"

"Yes, he's my pet."

"So _I'm_ your pet, too?" And now the merboy's tone had changed from fear to irritation. Alfred blinked. No-one ever took that tone with him. "You and your people are too full of yourselves, human."

Folding his arms, Alfred frowned. " _We_ are not the ones killing innocent people. _You_ are the reason I can't go swimming in the sea!"

Those green eyes blinked in bewilderment. Then it snorted in disbelief. "Oh, brilliant. I've gotten myself stuck with an ignorant, selfish child."

"Hey!" cried Alfred. "I am not!"

"You clearly know nothing of the world outside." At this he glanced around the room, taking in his surroundings.

"I do too! I know about Commersia and Oropa and I know that the sirens are dangerous 'cause they sing and kill people. And so do merpeople and-"

The merboy laughed. "That's what you _humans_ say. I have always been taught that _humans_ are the ones who are dangerous. And it looks like they were right." His face darkened and he turned away from Alfred.

Frowning deeper, Alfred rushed around to the other side and the merboy groaned. "You can't just turn away from me! You have to keep me company and amuse me."

"How exactly do you hope to do that with this in the way?" It hit the glass and Alfred jumped in surprise.

"Don't you do anything special? Like the sirens and their singing."

The merboy sighed. "Well, my special trait is that I have a tail and can swim. What can _you_ do?"

"I... I can... I'm a prince! I'm all heroic and stuff!"

With a snort, the creature shook its head. "That's not what makes a prince. Your silly human stories give all of you human princes inflated egos."

Alfred was at a loss now. "I... I..." He gave a growl and stormed from the room, ignoring the harsh bark of triumphant laughter behind him. How dare that thing make fun of him! No-one made fun of him! Nobody ever had harsh words or scowled at him or refused a request from him!

It didn't take long for Alfred to stomp up to his parents who seemed to be in the middle of a hurried meeting in one of the long halls. Normally, he would have waited to the side until they were finished, tuning out the words. This time, however, he was too incensed to be ignored.

"Mom! Dad!" he called to them as he neared. They seemed shocked at the interruption and they and their advisers turned towards him. "That _thing_ in my room is- is-! It said that being heroic isn't princely! Or- Or something like that! And it won't _do_ anything!"

The Queen sighed and leant over. "Alfred, darling. It's okay: it's probably just a little sore at being put in its special container. I'm sure you can win it round – you're always so charming, after all."

"Cheer up, son," said his father. "Mattie's in the dining room. We were just coming to get you." This successfully diverted Alfred's attention. With a cry of joy, he rushed off, his parents' relieved sighs going unnoticed.

Barrelling into the room, he noted with satisfaction that Matthew jumped slightly at the noise of the abused door and turned towards him. "Mattie!" he shouted, rushing and jumping at him, intent on a hug.

"Oof!" said Matthew as he managed to catch him just in time. The little boy patted the prince's back before pulling away and Alfred was able to grin at him. Matthew had bright, violet eyes and soft blonde hair with a strand which curled. They looked so similar that Alfred sometimes persuaded him to take his place for the boring ceremonies he had to be present for.

"Where's my present?" Alfred demanded.

Matthew rolled his eyes. "Hello, Alfred," he said pointedly. "Nice to see you enjoying your birthday." From the seat beside him, he lifted a small parcel. Alfred pouted a little but took it and ripped off the paper. Inside were a pair of matching necklaces, though there were different runes on each one which seemed to have been carved into something hard, perhaps bone. Thick leather was threaded through a hole which Alfred couldn't tell if it had been naturally made, man-made or made by magic.

"What...?" he began, unsure as to why there were two.

"The man at the stall said they were companion necklaces," explained Matthew with a fond smile. "You could get ones for you and your sweetheart, your family or your friends. Those are the ones for 'best friend'." He pointed at each rune as he said the words.

"Oh!" said Alfred and instantly held out one of the necklaces.

"No, silly!" laughed Matthew and held out another one. A different rune was carved into it. "I bought myself the one for cousins."

Grinning, Alfred looped all three over his head. "Awesome! Thanks, Mattie!"

"Looking forward to your party?" asked Matthew, which opened the dam and Alfred's excitement burst forth, occupying him for much of the afternoon.

* * *

He had almost completely forgotten about the merboy until he was making his way to his bedroom. On his way, he remembered the brief exchange with his mother when she had told him that he could win the merboy in his favour. And Alfred thought this was a great way to get his revenge – when they became friends, he would hold it over the thing's head. However, when he opened his door, he was immediately tested.

"Where have you been?" demanded the creature as it floated in the middle of the cylinder, glaring at him. "Don't you know how to take care of 'pets'?"

"Huh?"

"You haven't given me any food all day, you dolt!"

"Oh, uh..."

Before Alfred could sheepishly exit the room again, bending to the creature's veiled command, there was a knock at the door. Startled, Alfred turned to see a maid in the doorway, pushing a trolley. "My Prince, may I come in?" she asked. "I have food for..." She trailed off as her eyes settled on the container. The merboy rolled its eyes at her reaction.

"Oh, thanks, Mary!" said Alfred, grinning up at her. A thought occurred to him and he turned back to the merboy with a confused frown. "But... How're we gonna get it in there?"

Mary then proceeded to point out that the bottom of the container was attached to the floor by a metal ring, two hands thick. Within it was a small drawer which one could pull out. After inserting a fish and some seaweed, the drawer was pushed back in before the handle was slid to the side, releasing the food into the water. The merboy watched all this with disinterest until the food appeared inside. It flipped itself over and swam to the bottom, retrieving the food.

Alfred waved Mary off and turned back to watch the merboy eat. However, the creature only stared back at him. "Do you mind?" With an over-exaggerated sigh, Alfred turned away, going to his drawers and pulling out his nightshirt. As he undressed, he heard the voice behind him. "Why do you need all those clothes?"

"That's what people wear," said Alfred, shrugging. Though, now that he thought about it, he wasn't really sure of the answer.

"Hm," was the non-committal response.

"Do merpeople not wear clothes?"

"What? Us animals?" The sarcasm in the merboy's voice was so thick even Alfred understood what he was hinting at. He scowled in the privacy of his nightshirt as he pulled it on. "Not always. But we can."

Turning back, Alfred found that the merboy had already finished eating. He was a little surprised – he hadn't imagined him being such a quick eater. In fact, he was sure it had been faster than him, which was rather saying something.

"Cool," said Alfred before yawning. "I'm tired so I'm going to bed. Why don't you sing me a lullaby?"

"Excuse me?" asked the merboy, incredulously.

"Sing," ordered Alfred.

A sound like a sigh escaped the thing's lips and it seemed to take what would have been a deep breath. Then, as Alfred settled into his bed, the candles lighting up the room to ward off monsters like the sirens, he began to sing.

At first, Alfred smiled, relaxing. The merboy had a beautiful voice, though he resolved never to tell it that. Then the tone changed, the words changed, something changed and Alfred found himself feeling sad. He had never felt this sad before in his life: it was a painful clenching in his chest and he could feel tears beginning to slip past his closed eyelids. With a cry, he sat up, the merboy faltering to a halt.

"What are you doing?!" gasped Alfred, glaring at the merboy. His gaze softened, however, when he realised that the boy also had a pained expression. If he could, would he be crying as well, Alfred wondered.

"It's something my mother sang to me. I'm not sure on its meaning but I think it's about separated lovers. It always put me to sleep when she sang. Then again..." It sighed. "Her voice was magical..."

"Well... Well, stop it." Alfred lay back down feeling his exhaustion weigh him down. He couldn't even react to the mocking tone the merboy used to say his next statement.

"Yes, my Prince."

* * *

Their relationship did not change for an entire week and, the more time that passed, the more Alfred was irritated, snapping at servants. The merboy seemed amused by the deterioration of his happy mood which just made Alfred's mood sink further. His parents noticed, of course, especially when he viciously stabbed his fork into his dinner.

At breakfast on the seventh day, his parents tentatively suggested they go for a ride. Alfred was ecstatic and grabbed the opportunity with both hands. He suppressed the stubborn part of himself which was telling him that he didn't want to leave the merboy – that would be admitting defeat.

It watched him getting ready, fishing out his riding clothes, deliberately placing his helmet on the bed. He didn't want to wear it – there was no way a helmet was princely. As he turned to leave, his eyes met the merboy's. The creature scowled at him.

"Finally leaving me alone, huh? Is this my chance to escape?"

Alfred merely rolled his eyes. "Yeah, of course. Have fun while I'm gone," he added, a little cruelly, even for him. The merboy merely turned his back on him.

Without waiting for an answer, Alfred rushed from the room, running along the corridors and bounding down the stairs. Bursting out of the doors, he found his parents already in their saddles, their entourage chattering amongst themselves. He wanted to be on one of the tall horses, as well, eyeing his small pony with distaste.

"Ah, there you ar-" His mother cut herself off with a glare as she noticed his lack of helmet. "Alfred," she said, warningly.

"Yes, mother?" asked Alfred with his most winning smile, the kind that always got what he wanted.

"Helmet."

Pouting, Alfred turned back to the palace doors, not impressed with its immense size as others might be. This argument happened every time they went riding and Alfred was always frustrated that his parents' desire to keep himself safe overwhelmed their spoiling. Of course, this was why he had learned to place the helmet on the bed: the quicker he retrieved it, the quicker they could go.

As he approached his room, Alfred noticed that his door was slightly ajar. He had obviously not closed it properly in his rush to be away from the creature in the container. Grinning at the thought of what was on the other side of the door, Alfred crept to the door and quietly pushed it open – giving the merboy a surprise would be such wonderful fun.

The scene which greeted him on the other side, however, caused him to stop. The merboy had floated to the bottom of its container and was curled up on the cylinder's floor. Its tail was bent where its knees would have been and its arms were hugging it tightly. The creature's shoulders were shaking and Alfred could here sniffing and muffled sobs.

It was crying.

Gaping in shock, Alfred found himself silently stepping over the mess in his room, making his way towards the cylinder. He could hear the fear and despair in the thing's sobbing. And he recognised it – he made those same noises when he got scared from ghost tales.

That was the moment that Alfred realised that, despite all the stories he had heard of half-humans, despite all the snippy remarks, despite the scowl, the merboy was frightened. Alfred bit his lip and found himself picturing himself captured by ghosts and trapped in a glass cage, unable to move much, nothing to do but watch his captors and bend to their every whim. He shuddered but managed to stifle his whimper. How had he not realised that?

How had he not realised that the merboy was just like him?

Hesitantly, he continued up to the prison, terrified of startling him. When he reached it, he gently tapped at the glass and knelt down. The merboy twisted round, alarm clear in his eyes, though Alfred couldn't see any tears. "Hey," muttered Alfred. "Are you...?" He stopped himself from asking the question with the obvious answer. Biting his lip, he placed his hand flat against the glass. "Hi," he said, quietly. "My name's Alfred. What's yours?"

The merboy's eyes widened further, those green orbs shimmering through the water. There was a silence for a few minutes before he seemed to steel himself and nodded at Alfred. A hand was placed against the glass at the same spot as Alfred's. "Arthur," he said, a little shyly.

"Hey, Arthur. I... I'm sorry. But I don't think you can go back – my parents wouldn't be happy if I asked them to. But I won't let you be alone after today."

Arthur laughed. "What, are you going to stay in your room all day?"

"If I need to," said Alfred, firmly. "But, maybe... Well, I'm the prince – I can totally get someone to help carry you around."

Shaking his head, Arthur flicked his tail and floated upwards, away from Arthur. "You're still as stupid as you were a week ago."

"He-!" began Alfred but he was cut off by another shout in the distance.

"Alfred?! Where are you?! We want to leave soon!"

"Coming!" he shouted back. Hurriedly, he got to his feet and collected his helmet. Turning to Arthur, he grinned at him. "Mom said I'd be able to charm you!"

"Hardly," said Arthur, looking decidedly unimpressed. "I simply tire of hearing you call me 'Merboy'. It's not my name."

With a shrug, Alfred headed to the door. "I'll be a few hours but then we can... I dunno, play some sort of game, I guess."

Arthur rolled his eyes. "Hurry along, my Prince. Your doting servants await."

* * *

As it turned out, Alfred's parents had thought ahead, making sure the cage was easy to detach from its moorings. It was even light enough to be put in a custom-made wheelbarrow and pushed around by servants. Thus, Alfred could still go out to the gardens to play with Arthur. The merboy was restricted, of course, but Alfred made sure he was included in conversation. However, although Arthur now spoke to him a little more civilly, he refused to open up beyond that.

This didn't daunt Alfred; sometimes he would even force the merboy to play in much more quiet games like chess and cards. It still seemed like he was playing himself as he was moving the pieces or holding up both hands. But, rather than the servants letting him win when they noticed his pouting, Arthur would completely annihilate him. At first, the young prince had been upset and huffy at his losses, refusing to talk to Arthur while the other taunted him. Now, his competitive streak had erupted and he would play game after game in an effort to beat his opponent.

Two weeks after his new friend had arrived in his room, Alfred was sitting on the floor in front of the container, frowning at the eleven cards in his hand. "Any threes?" he asked.

"Go fish," Arthur replied. He sounded further than the last time and Alfred looked up to find Arthur at the top of the container. As he watched, Arthur twisted round and swam to the bottom where he twisted before pausing as he caught Alfred's eyes with his own. "What?" he demanded.

"Can't you stop that? It's kinda distracting." Alfred frowned again. "Why're you doing that, anyways?"

Arthur sighed. "It's the only way I can do what my people like doing most."

"What? Swimming?"

"Yes. Jacks?"

"Wha-? Oh," said Alfred, glancing down and finding that he had three in his hand. He sighed and showed them to Arthur who smirked and told him which of the cards to place in his winning pile.

"I miss being able to swim large distances," Arthur admitted, suddenly, staring pointedly at his cards. "Any Queens?"

Alfred handed over one of his cards, placing it in Arthur's hand which currently sat on the floor face down. "You know my parents don't want to let you go. They think you'll come back and kill me or something."

"Hardly. If I ever touch the ocean again, I will go home and never come to the surface again."

Pouting, Alfred looked up. "What, not even to see me? I thought I was your friend."

"Friend?" Arthur glanced up in surprise.

"Well, I consider _you_ a friend. Even if it _is_ annoying that you keep beating me at this game."

"I have a good memory," Arthur explained. "Threes?" Alfred handed his cards over. "Why do you think I'm your friend?"

"We have fun, don't we?" asked Alfred, grinning at him. "And you don't talk to anyone else about my secrets."

Arthur made a sound kind of like a snort of disbelief. "I would hardly call them secrets. Being scared of ghosts at your age is perfectly fine. But if you retain that fear..." Arthur grinned at him with a wicked glint in his eye.

"My age? How old are you?"

"Six years," said Arthur. "But I was born in the spring so I'm older than you. Fours?"

Alfred rolled his eyes at Arthur's attempt at being superior but did, indeed, hand over a four which made Arthur smirk and instruct Alfred to set aside another winning pile. As he was sorting it out, Alfred spoke. "Y'know. My parents built me an indoor pool for swimming in. Maybe I could convince them to let you swim in it." When he got no reply, he looked up at his friend as he sat back. The merboy was looking at him in shock. "What?"

"You... You would do that? For _me_?"

"Sure! You're my friend: I keep telling you that."

"But... I'm a merboy. That..."

Sighing, Alfred shook his head and picked up his own hand again. "C'mon, Artie. Don't put yourself down like that. It doesn't matter whether you are or not – you're my friend now. And my parents give me everything I want." He levelled Arthur with an intense, sincere gaze. "I swear to you, on my honour as a prince, I will do everything in my power to get you into that pool. And, later, when I'm King, I'll make sure my first act be to let you go back to your people."

It was the first time he'd seen the merboy speechless. His mouth hung open slightly, his eyes wide. "You..." he finally managed. There was another pause before he shook his head slightly, his lips forming a small, hopeful smile. "You don't happen to have any fives, do you?"

"Dammit!"

* * *

It took a lot of convincing and wheedling and whining and tears for Alfred's parents to agree to let the merboy swim in the pool. However, they forbade Alfred from getting in with him which he reluctantly agreed to – though 'forgot' to mention this to his new friend or the servants transporting him to the other building, hoping his parents hadn't told them. He took his swimming trunks with him, intent on swimming once he'd gotten rid of everyone.

The pool had been built after he and his parents had gone for a day at the beach. When Alfred had tried to go into the water, his parents held him back, telling him it was dangerous. Unfortunately, the idea of swimming in the sea was implanted in his mind and Alfred's parents decided that it would be safer to build a pool which would be separated from the perilous ocean. Stones similar to those used in building the palace were used to build it in an effort to make it blend in. However, the building still looked newer, the stone brighter and cleaner than the palace's, despite the rigorous upkeep. Large glass windows made it possible to see inside, mainly so that Alfred's parents could watch their son as they sat in the garden.

Arthur was astonished when he was taken to the building and shown the massive pool inside. It was several metres long: it would have been bigger had there been more unused garden space. He seemed to be even more surprised when his container was laid on its side and the two servants helped each other to open the glass door, some of the water cascading to the floor.

"Is this...? Are you-? I'm allowed in?" he asked, barely speaking above an awed whisper.

Alfred nodded quickly. "Yup! You can swim for however long you want, Artie!"

Blinking, Arthur seemed to survey the water. Alfred wondered if he needed help to get out of the container but, before he could ask, Arthur's hands gripped the edge of the glass and pushed himself up. The container was close to the edge of the pool and the boy flipped himself over both, diving in smoothly. Water splashed up in arcs and Alfred rushed to the pool's edge, leaning over to see Arthur at the bottom.

Briefly, Alfred wondered if he was all right, since he didn't seem to be moving. Then, suddenly, he watched Arthur flicking his tail and he shot forward along the bottom. Awestruck, Alfred continued to watch as Arthur swam up and down the pool, never pausing, never coming up. After a while, Alfred became a little downhearted – Arthur hadn't acknowledged him since hitting the water and he wanted to talk to him.

It was almost as if the merboy had telepathy. For, just as soon as Alfred had had his selfish thought, Arthur was looking up, their eyes locking through the water separating them. Arthur twisted around, swam a distance away and, finally, swam quickly towards the surface. He broke free from the water but didn't stop, continuing up, arching over as he leapt through the air. Alfred's jaw dropped open as he gazed at the thin form of the merboy, his scales glistening and reflecting the light. The sight was more beautiful than anything Alfred had ever seen before and he found himself gaping.

Arthur dropped back to the water, going under, before popping up right in front of Alfred. He smiled at the prince, a genuine, happy smile. "Thank you," he sighed. "Thank you, Alfred. I'll never forget this."

This jolted Alfred from his daze. "No problem!" grinned Alfred. Then he turned to the servants. "You can leave now," he told them.

"But, sire-" began the more nervous of the two.

"I _said_ , you can go."

The other tried a protest. "Your parents have tasked us-"

"Don't they trust me?" demanded Alfred. "I would like to be left alone, okay?"

The smaller man bit his lip and glanced at the other. The sterner one shrugged a shoulder and they both bowed before leaving. Once the door closed behind them, Alfred turned back to Arthur who had his head tilted slightly, a confused frown on his face.

"My parents don't want me to swim with you," Alfred explained.

Arthur leaned his elbows on the side of the pool. "Smart people, your parents. To an extent. For humans." He grinned up at Alfred who rolled his eyes.

"Well, now I'm free to get in," said Alfred with his own grin and began to undress.

"Is that really such a wise idea. Your parents obviously worry about me killing you in some way." Arthur rested his head on his arms, smiling up at him. "What makes you say I won't?"

"Because you're my friend," said Alfred as he pulled on his trunks.

"I do wish you'd stop going on about that," sighed Arthur. The prince was a little surprised to actually hear the sigh this time instead of the odd noise he was so used to.

"Why?" asked Alfred as he sat at the edge of the pool and dangled his legs over the edge.

"Because..." Arthur gave up on his explanation and sighed. "Never mind. You're still the same idiot from two weeks ago. Are you sure you can trust me, though?"

"Definitely!" exclaimed Alfred, his voice echoing.

"Why?"

"You're my best friend, that's why! In fact!" And with that, Alfred turned away from Arthur's shocked face to look through his pockets. Finding what he knew was there, he pulled them out and looped one over his head. "Here! This is for you."

The wide eyes on the merboy made his eyes look more green than before. They shone and reflected the light as he slowly reached out a hand to the necklace dangling from Alfred's fingers. "What... What is it?"

"It's a best friend necklace! We each have our own but they're part of a set. So, although we may be apart, we'll know we're still best friends. I got it for my birthday and-"

However, at the mention of his birthday, Arthur retracted his hand and shook his head. "I can't take that. It's special to you. Why would you...? You can't."

Alfred frowned and slipped into the pool, water splashing into Arthur's face, though the merboy didn't flinch. Steadying himself with the edge of the pool, Alfred turned to Arthur and looped the necklace around his slim neck. "I can do whatever I want in Libertia. And I want you to be my best friend. Well, you already are, but I want you to have this. If I ever have to leave you alone for any length of time, just look at this and think of me." He gave Arthur a stern look as the surprised merboy grasped the piece of bone.

"I..." He gazed down at it in wonder and Alfred grinned when he looked up at him with a soft smile. "I will treasure it forever."

Nodding, Alfred let his grin widen and splashed Arthur in the face. "Heh!" he said at Arthur's surprise. "Betcha can't beat me in a race, Artie!"

"Oh? You dare challenge a member of the merfolk for a swimming race?" His tone was probably supposed to sound intimidating but Arthur's happy grin ruined it. "Come along then. We had best start at the end."

* * *

Alfred had never had so much fun swimming. They raced and splashed each other, wrestled and dove for items, laughing when Alfred could breathe. Meanwhile, Arthur looked happier than Alfred had ever seen him. It was as if, having been given the room to move, he could forget his captivity for a while and show his true self. This made Alfred grin wider, happy for his friend.

Eventually, Alfred grew tired and pulled himself out of the water to lie, panting. Arthur once again leant his elbows on the edge, propping his head up with his hands. For a few minutes they stayed silent, comfortable. However, something seemed to be bothered Arthur as Alfred watched him glaring at the floor.

"You... I need to tell you something."

"What?" asked Alfred, reluctantly pushing himself into a seated position, his legs dangling off the edge of the pool once again.

Raising his eyes, Arthur fixed his stern eyes on his. "You don't know. You don't know anything."

"Geez, we've been through this bef-"

"No, Alfred!" cried Arthur, grabbing his leg. Alfred tensed, rather alarmed by his outburst. His large, blue eyes stared back at the merboy, waiting for an explanation. "Listen to me, please. Your parents are keeping things from you. It's obvious you don't know about the world outside this palace."

"I-"

"I said listen!" commanded Arthur, his grip tightening. "Your parents have told you that merpeople drag people to sea, that they kill them. But that hasn't happened in so long – and there was a reason for that in the past. Now it's too dangerous for us to go to the surface, never mind drag someone to the depths. It's too dangerous because, if we go up there, we will be killed or captured. By _your_ people."

Taking a startled breath, Alfred said, "I don't understand..."

"Alfred, please! Please understand! We are not dangerous! Can't you see that? You know what I am. Your parents know what I am. Yet you are not dead, lying at the bottom of this pool. I would not kill anyone – why would I kill someone I didn't know? Or someone I barely know?" He gazed at Alfred with pleading eyes, perhaps gauging if his point had gotten across.

The human's frown was so pronounced that Alfred was afraid he would never smile again, would be constantly confused. "I still don't-"

"Half-humans aren't dangerous!" shouted Arthur, his voice echoing in the quiet. Silence descended, the lapping of water from Arthur's movements the only sound for a moment.

"Well, _you're_ not," said Alfred, cautiously, eyeing the merboy. "I know that. But sirens... And there's those scorpion men and the harpies. I hardly think-"

"You still don't understand!" growled Arthur, throwing his hands in the air. He turned and swam away, Alfred noting how he took deep breaths, perhaps to calm himself.

The prince scrambled to his feet. "Then explain it to me!" he called to his friend.

Arthur turned and straightened his back. Somehow, despite him being below Alfred and despite not actually standing, he seemed to the Libertian that he was taller than him. "Half-humans are _scared_ of humans. They try to hide themselves away, keep to themselves in their own lands, with their own people. But you- But the humans... They keep using us since we're under their rule. They think they can tell us what to do despite our own governments. They keep oppressing us. And my being a present for _you_ is the ultimate oppression. The ultimate humiliation for my people. Do you understand now!"

Not breathing, Alfred could hear Arthur panting from his exertion. Was the merboy right? Had he been blind to this? Sure, he had thought that it was a shame that Arthur had been taken so young. But he hadn't felt guilt or regret. It was just a part of life, like the servants in his palace. Although...

Now that he thought about, the servants had always looked down on Arthur. Everyone called him 'it'. Some of the most jovial of people seemed to frown when they saw him. His parents had always been kind to him, though, so would they really continue this treatment? Would they look down on Arthur? But, of course, they had done so already.

There was a sudden splash and Alfred was brought back to the present. He watched Arthur swimming along the bottom of the pool again, almost as if he was getting as much time to move as he could. Before he could think any more depressing thoughts, Alfred jumped into the water, splashing water over the side. He swam down to Arthur and tapped his shoulder. When the merboy turned around with a frown, Alfred pointed upwards and they swam back up, side by side.

Once they had breached the water and Alfred had taken a deep breath, he turned back to Arthur and looked him in the eyes. "I'm sorry, Arthur."

"What for?" asked Arthur, looking lost.

"For everything. For everything that's happened to you. For the way your people get treated."

Arthur stared at him before laughing. "Prince Alfred, you are a very strange being."

"Says the one with the tail who still plays 'Go Fish'."

"It's a fun game when I always win," retorted Arthur with a grin.

Alfred grinned back. "C'mon. I better get out before my parents find out."

They swam to the side of the pool and Arthur helped Alfred out once again. Grabbing a nearby towel, Alfred dried off and redressed. As soon as he had, the door opened and the two servants from before returned. Alfred frowned a little as they surveyed him, wondering why they seemed more nervous than before.

When they pulled Arthur out, hurting him a little in the progress (which they mumbled an apology for, more to him than Arthur), Alfred began to wonder how long they had been behind the door and how much they had heard...

* * *

A few days later, after dinner, Alfred returned to his room to find all traces of Arthur and the container gone. There was just a clean bit of floor where it had been. For a heartbeat, he gazed, uncomprehending. Then his eyes widened and he dashed back to his parents, the cloth of his clothes flying behind him. His shoes squeaked and several times he slipped until, finally, he found them in the drawing room.

They looked surprised to see him but were still rather calm in the face of his anxiety. His mother held her sewing in her hands and his father was taking a moment to have a glass of some sort of brown drink. Smiling down at him, his mother asked him what was wrong.

"Where's Arthur?!" he demanded. "What have you done with him?!"

"Arthur?" his mother asked, looking confused. "Oh, the merboy?"

"Yes!"

"Well, it said it wanted to go back to the ocean. So we've decided to return it. After all, you kept asking."

"But I didn't even get to say goodbye!" wailed Alfred, annoyed and very confused.

His father set aside his glass and opened his arms. Alfred took the invitation and jumped up, letting the man hug him close. "I'm sorry, son. But the merboy said it wanted to leave as soon as possible. And that it never wanted to see you again. We thought it would be best to take it away whilst you were busy."

Feeling teary, Alfred tried his best to hold his grief back and sniffed. "He-He doesn't want to see me again?"

"That was what it said."

"But he's my friend! Why would he say that?!"

"Alfred, darling," his mother interjected. "I'm so sorry. But this is what the merpeople are like. They lull you into a false sense of security and then snatch you. Or they trick you into thinking they love you or are your friend before abandoning you when a better offer comes along. I am sorry you had to find out like this. However, we cannot keep the truth of their ruthlessness a secret forever."

"But..." Alfred trailed off. He had thought that Arthur was different, that he wasn't a monster. Then again, why would the merboy want to be friends with the prince who owned him? He was a slave and would probably only show Alfred affection to appease him. Perhaps his parents were right.

This didn't stop him from crying, though, sobbing into his father's tunic. His hand clutched the necklace he had continued to wear since the day in the pool. He decided he hated Arthur. How dare he make the prince cry? How dare he make a fool of him?

At some point during his sobbing, Alfred fell asleep. He woke again when his father laid him on his bed, obviously having carried him to his room. The worn-out boy waited until the King had left before sitting up and rubbing his eyes, trying to erase the evidence of his hurt. He still clutched the necklace and, with a low snarl, he pulled it over his head. Glaring at the rune, he realised that he had the part which said 'best'. With gritted teeth, he threw the necklace across the room. If the container had still been there, it would have hit the glass and bounced off. This thought just made him angrier.

A low growling sound came from his throat as he lay down – if he ever met that merboy again, he would give it a piece of his mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Original A/N (more or less):  
> The mermaids do not have any magical ways of ensnaring humans like seemed to happen in about half of the stories I've read. They don't charm people by singing. They don't... do anything. The only magical thing about them is that they have a tail and can breathe underwater. Oh, and the pressure thing. You know, can withstand the pressure of the deep sea. When Arthur sings and Alfred feels indescribably sad (though I did describe it so that's a bit moot), Alfred is unconsciously reacting to the actual song and not any magic. Although he fears that that's why he's crying so he puts a stop to it.
> 
> Commersia and Oropa are the other two lands which are in this world. Libertia is in the East, Oropa to the North and Commersia to the West, though their climates don't vary on those points so Oropa is actually a forested land. A certain part of Commersia is, however, rather cold... These lands are basically just large blobs of land which actually incorporate smaller "countries" where the half-humans reside as much as possible. (They try to hide but the humans force their trade on them so there's always humans coming and going and kidnapping some of them.) There's also Briseric which is the merpeople's "land" which is actually a part of the nation of Libertia. Kinda like how America, Canada, etc. were a part of the British Empire, etc. Oh and there's perhaps something undiscovered to the south - but no-one knows cause the ships never come back... *dramatic music!*
> 
> Each of the half-humans have a particular nation they're generally found in. Libertia has the merpeople and the sirens, which is why Alfred mentions them to begin with. Scorpion men and harpies will be covered later.
> 
> Speaking of scorpion men, they're from Mesopotamian mythology so they're around. Basically, everything from mythology which was half human and the upper part was human will be mentioned in this story at some point.
> 
> They're both six years old. They seem to be acting older than they are but that's because merpeople are more aware of the world as a whole. And Alfred is trying his best to act like his father.


	2. Another Surprise

For his 18th birthday, Alfred was getting a ship. He had known about it for the better part of a year and had watched it being built from the harbour wall. It would finally mean he had his own freedom to travel the world and he planned on doing so as soon as he could. Perhaps he could visit the other countries, meet the other princes he would be dealing with in the future. As far as he could remember, there was Francis who was a couple of years older than him and Ivan who was a few months younger.

However, he was pleasantly surprised when his parents asked him if he wanted anything else for his birthday three weeks before the big day. He thought long and hard but nothing sprang to mind. After all, he had a horse and swords and bows and arrows and his own ship and... There was really nothing else he wanted at the moment. So he only shrugged and asked for a 'surprise'.

When the big day arrived, the party was enormous. Fireworks and feasts and balls happened all across Libertia. Their prince was now of age and could now go on diplomatic meetings – amongst other things that Alfred brushed off. There was no way he wanted to think about marriage so soon.

Not that he would have trouble finding a partner. Women flocked to him, despite his glasses that he had had to wear since he was fifteen. His hair was golden and his eyes reminded everyone of the sky. The smiles he flashed were blinding. There was a lot more muscle from years of training and girls tended to hang onto his thick arms.

He was so happy with the celebrations that he had forgotten that his parents had offered him another present. So he was rather surprised and delighted to be approached by his father as he made his way to his chambers at night.

"Son, we have one last present for you."

"Oh?" asked Alfred with a grin as his mother joined them. "Where is it?"

"In you bedroom, honey," said his mother with a smile.

Alfred almost froze in shock but covered it up with a boisterous laugh. "Awesome!" he exclaimed even as he remembered the last time there had been a present in his room. If it was another merperson, he didn't want it. He wondered if his parents would be upset if he gave it to Mattie the next time his cousin visited. Regardless, Alfred followed his parents along the darkening corridors. They stepped back once they reached his door and, after taking a deep breath, he slowly swung the door open.

Sure enough, that floor-to-ceiling container had been reinstalled whilst he was away. This time, however, it was not a merboy in it. Floating there, taking up most of the space, was a green-tailed merman. It was skinny, its arms and chest with barely any muscle. Floating around its head was its blonde hair, bobbing in the water. Around its neck was a necklace.

A necklace that Alfred recognised.

"Is... Is that-?" he breathed, confused.

"Yes, dear," said his mother, smiling at him. "That's the one we got you all those years ago. Isn't that lucky?"

"Uh, but," said Alfred, rather at a loss. "He- It said that he wouldn't ever come to the surface again. How was it captured?"

"Oh, well, perhaps it was searching for a friend," sad his father, placing a hand on Alfred's shoulder. "Who knows with them? We thought it would be a nice surprise."

"And it's better than a rowdy merman or a crafty mermaid," added his mother. "Not to mention the younglings – you wouldn't want to look after one of _them_ , right?"

"Well, no," admitted Alfred. "But... I don't really _want_ it."

"You don't?" asked the queen, looking distraught. "I was hoping you would – we had no idea what to get you." She clutched the fabric of her dress, a nervous habit for when she was upset at Alfred's distress.

"No, Mom! Don't- I'll take care of it, I promise!" cried Alfred, not wanting his mother to cry.

"That's settled, then," said his father decisively. "Just remember not to listen to any of its lies."

"I won't, Dad," replied Alfred, with a firm nod.

"Let us all retire for the night. Are you coming, Desdemona?"

"Ah, yes, my dear," answered the King's wife, looping her arm in his. "Goodnight, Alfred."

"Goodnight," he replied, smiling at them. "Thank you for all of the presents," he added as they turned to close the door behind them.

Once they were gone, Alfred turned to the merman in the cylinder. Frowning, he stepped forward and scrutinised him in the dim lighting. Were those ribs he could see? Had the stupid thing not been eating properly? And the thing had called _Alfred_ an idiot. Alfred snorted, shaking his head. Something caught his eye, though and he leaned in, his nose bumping against the glass. Thin marks covered its skin. They had definitely not been there the last time Alfred had laid eyes on the creature. In fact, they looked like scars of some sort, though they had mostly healed.

Alfred glanced at his bed, wondering if he should also go to sleep. However, his pet had yet to awaken and he did not want it to have time to prepare its lies that it would surely tell him when he demanded answers. So he dragged over a table and chair slightly to the side of the creature, placed a candelabrum beside him and sat down to wait.

He wasn't the most patient of people for the majority of time so a lot of people would be surprised at how long he waited, watching the merman bobbing in the water. His parents, of course, would tell them that he could be stubborn when he wanted to be. This was one of those rare occasions.

Time slipped away. Alfred could feel himself nodding off and he grabbed a dusty, unread book to try to keep himself awake. It didn't hold his attention and he threw it on the ground in disgust. There was a thump which seemed to echo in the room, seeming to echo when it reverberated against the container.

Finally, the thing's eyes began to flutter open. Grinning wickedly, Alfred hoped to see it start backwards and hurt itself against the glass. Instead, the merman seemed to be staying as still as possible, its tail only flicking slightly to keep itself in position. Slowly, it opened its vibrant green eyes, and glanced around. A sound, familiar to Alfred from before, escaped its lips, as though it was sighing.

"Not again," it murmured. For a few moments, it took in its surrounding. Alfred wondered, briefly, if it would be able to see the changes. Real swords instead of fake; riding equipment; armour; toy soldiers used as ornaments rather than toys.

Perhaps sensing the light source within the room, it eventually turned towards Alfred. It seemed to inhale water in a gasp of sorts and its eyes widened. Alfred wondered if it was feeling guilty or if it was scared again. Instead, the reaction was unexpected, causing his own eyes to widen slightly behind his spectacles.

"You!" cried the thing. "It's- Alfred! Thank the Sea Witches!" It swam forward, its hands coming up to rest against the glass, beaming happily. "You found me. I-I was beginning to think you'd forgotten me!"

With narrowed eyes, Alfred crossed his arms against his chest. He was scowling and it occurred to him, vaguely, that he only seemed to frown and scowl in front of this thing. "You," he growled.

This seemed to puncture the joy within the creature and he shrank away slightly. "You... don't remember? It's me: Arthur." Its hand darted upwards, clutching at the necklace like a lifeline.

"Of course I remember you," answered Alfred, glowering. "I remember you were supposed to be my friend. I remember you decided to go behind my back and leave me to go to the sea. In fact, I wouldn't have seen you had it not been for your recapture." He laughed, a little maliciously. "Did you think it was safe to come back up?"

Arthur's mouth opened and closed, his eyes still wide. "You... What are you...? No. You didn't- They..."

"Ha! You used to call me stupid and now look at you. You can't even finish your sentences." The glare he received made him grin smugly at the merman.

"Well, it is not every day that a young prince accuses you of something that his parents lied about," retorted Arthur, folding his arms against his chest. He twisted round, turning his back on Alfred.

"What was that?" growled Alfred, jumping to his feet and rushing around the glass wall. He slammed a hand against it when he situated himself in front of the merman again, causing the thing's tail to twitch in surprise. "What did you just say?"

"I called your parents liars," snarled Arthur. "They told me-!" He stopped and reached for the necklace. "I thought that you didn't... But I hoped... It turns out I was wrong."

"Liars?" snapped Alfred. "Why would you say that?"

Green eyes flickered over Alfred, taking in his appearance: his pale blue tunic with the matching breeches; the white cloak over his shoulders; his flashing glasses as the light flickered. It looked like Arthur was trying to decide on something. Finally, he said, "If you cannot work it out, I don't see why I should have to tell you."

Without really registering why he was doing it, Alfred banged his hands against the glass, startling Arthur who backed off a little. "Tell me!" Alfred yelled. "I _own_ you so _tell me_!"

The merman's mouth fell open and he stared at Alfred. Alfred stared back. He was sure he could see hope and anger and fear in those bright eyes. So it shocked him when Arthur's eyes seemed to dull, his expression relaxing into something blank. Alfred took a step back, concern sweeping through him briefly.

"Yes, Your Highness," mumbled Arthur, his eyes flicking downwards as he bowed his head, respectfully.

This was even more shocking than his expression. When they had been children, Arthur had never called him 'Your Majesty' and meant it. The term had always been used mockingly with him. At the time, Alfred hadn't minded. Now, though, he could hear the defeat. The necklace bounced against its chest but it was ignored.

"What?" Alfred murmured, now confused.

"Your parents are liars, my prince," said Arthur, refusing to look at him. "They told me that you did not want me any more and sold me to another noble. I have been passed around and treated poorly – for the most part. Only fellow half-humans were able to treat me like you once did." At this, his eyes flickered upwards. "But I suppose we all grow up."

"You... That's not possible," breathed Alfred. His parents would never do that. They were kind and gentle. There was no way they had lied to him. And if they hadn't lied, then... Anger bubbled up within him and he yelled, thumping the glass with his fist. "You're lying! Don't you dare talk about my parents like that!"

He watched Arthur flinch away from him. "I..."

"No!" Alfred cut him off. "Enough! Shut up so I can sleep." And with that, he turned his back on his present, and stormed to his chest of drawers to get ready for bed. With that done, he slipped under the covers and rolled away from the merman, determined never to speak to him again.

Distantly, he thought he heard Arthur speak, quietly, sadly. "Of course... Alfred."

* * *

For the next few weeks, Arthur and Alfred spoke very little. In fact, Arthur only ever agreed with Alfred, being polite and respectful at all times. Alfred barely acknowledged him, only doing so to feed him. Sometimes he would complain to the room about the fact that he was not allowed to leave on his ship just yet – his parents had forbid him from leaving at the moment. Arthur would reply and Alfred would shoot a glare at him, shutting him up.

In the meantime, Alfred noted that Arthur barely had room to move. Every so often, he would swim to the top of the container before letting himself sink – he could no longer turn. Sometimes, Alfred would catch himself watching the ever graceful movements. Occasionally, Arthur would spot him and stop, almost as though he was unsure as to whether Alfred was annoyed or not.

The necklace annoyed Alfred. How dare he keep it after everything? Why would he keep it if he had wanted to be rid of Alfred? It made him doubt his parents, doubt everything. He spent most of his days in a foul mood because of it. Another thing which caused him alarm and confusion was the way Arthur would clutch at it whenever he shouted at the merman.

And he could feel an emptiness within him whenever he noticed him quickly drop it with a depressed look.

Eventually, Alfred pleaded with his parents to let him go on his ship. He promised only to sail between Libertia and Oropa. However, the king and queen looked at each other before telling Alfred he would have to wait until after their tour of their country. They would not allow him to travel alone.

Alfred was upset and frustrated so he stormed to his room, something he hardly ever did. The ship had been so he could travel and see the world by himself. Now he realised that he was still chained to the palace and his parents. He threw the door open, startling the merman in its tank.

"What is wrong with you?" asked Arthur, the first time he had sounded interested in Alfred's life since he had arrived.

"None of your business," growled Alfred, slamming the door closed. Making sure he made as much noise as possible, he stomped over to his bed and threw himself into it.

"Hm," he heard Arthur hum. "It looks as though someone finally got told 'no'. Was it a girl?"

Jolting upright, Alfred twisted round to glare at the merman. "Shut up!"

"But this is a good life lesson, my liege," replied Arthur, coolly, a smirk on his face. His eyes positively twinkled with glee and Alfred really wished he could give him a good punch in the face. "You are finally a little less naïve than before."

This caused Alfred to pause in the act of standing and he dropped back down onto his mattress, bouncing a little. "What?" he asked, frowning.

"The world does not work the way _you_ want it to. It does whatever it wants and you must learn to work with it." Arthur flicked his tail. "These sorts of lessons would be all the easier to understand if you would just leave the palace. You have a big, fancy ship, don't you? What's stopping you?" Alfred merely glowered at him, annoyed that they were back to talking about the reason for his bad mood. Meanwhile, Arthur tilted his head, frowning a little before comprehension slowly morphed his expression to one of evil amusement. "Ah, your parents are still protective of you."

"Shut up!" snapped Alfred again, beginning to get more annoyed. "You don't know what you're talking about!"

"Oh?" said Arthur, moving forward slightly, his tail barely moving in the limited space. "Well, I _do_ know what I'm talking about. Sadly. And I also know that they will leave soon for several weeks on their tour of the kingdom. Ah. Apart from Briseric, of course. No human can go there. The King of the merpeople will meet with them at sea in a month to report to them."

Alfred gaped at the merman. Apart from the Mer-King, how could he know all that? It wasn't common knowledge when the king and queen did their tour. They would deliberately leave at night so that people were unaware when exactly they had departed and they would return in the same manner. Sure, the citizens knew when they were away, roughly, but anyone not in the lands of Libertia were generally unaware of their actions. If Arthur had been under the sea all this time, how could he know of this?

After staring back for a moment, Arthur shrugged. "I don't know why you're so surprised. What _I'm_ surprised at is the fact that you don't seem to realise that you could simply leave on your 'awesome' ship as soon as they've left."

"I..." Alfred managed, confusion and doubt once again clouding his mind. What was going on? What had really happened to Arthur? Were his parents really lying? No, he decided. They couldn't be. It wasn't possible. "I can't go against them."

"How very like you," said Arthur, haughtily, successfully riling Alfred up once more.

"Shut up! You don't know me!"

Sadly, Arthur nodded, his hand going to his necklace. It stopped, though, before its fingers touched the bone, letting it drop to his side. "Yes. I am sorry, Your Majesty. I do not know you. Not now." A heavy silence dropped on them, Alfred wondering if he would know him if Arthur had stayed. "Still," Arthur added, "I would have expected you to want to sail your own ship for the first time – without your parents.

"Oh, leave me alone," sighed Alfred, annoyed. He didn't want to think about disobeying his parents or the implications of Arthur's statements. Flopping back on the bed, he took a deep breath and let it out in a sigh.

"I do apologise, Your Highness," Arthur said, almost as though he wanted to get the last word in. "Yet... If you ever _do_ go out of the palace walls, I know the place you should visit first."

Alfred chose to ignore it.

* * *

The following day, Alfred was passing gloomily through the corridors, bored, when he heard his father's voice coming from the parlour. Glancing at the room, he was astonished to see the door open slightly. His parents were usually big advocates of keeping the doors closed in the palace so he wondered why it wasn't. He bit his lip for a moment before deciding and sidling up to the gap to listen.

"And you are sure of this information?" his father was saying.

"Yes, sire," said a man's voice. Alfred didn't recognise it.

"This is ridiculous," sighed his mother. "Why in Libertia are they making such a fuss? They get a fair amount of freedom already. We cannot regulate them well, what with our inability to get down there."

"Well, Your Majesty," said the unknown man, "our sources believe they are annoyed at both our distance ruling and with..." He trailed off and their was a short silence.

"They make such good pets, though," replied his father.

Alfred frowned – he had thought they were talking about some of Libertia's citizens. So what _were_ they talking about if they were 'pets'?

"With all due respect, Majesty, they do cause us a lot of trouble in our waters." The man sounded weary, as if he had spoken of this at length with his parents before. "And they will continue to rise. If they were to gather and-"

"Nonsense," interrupted his mother with a snort. "They will do no such thing. We have several merpeople imprisoned already – they would not risk their deaths."

"That is the only thing stop-"

But Alfred had heard enough. He staggered away with wide eyes, almost bumping into a servant. After muttering an apology, he rushed off, hurrying to his room. Once there, he closed the door, locked it, turned, leaned against it and slid down to sit on his haunches. What had that been? Alfred had always known that merpeople were considered lesser citizens but he had always thought his parents treated them fairly. After all, wasn't that why they talked to the Mer-King? It was getting harder and harder to give them the benefit of the doubt – especially since his sense of adventure had already been roused by Arthur. He wanted to know what Arthur claimed he _should_ know.

But should he listen to someone who was of a species widely thought to be untrustworthy?

"What ails you, mighty prince?" asked the sarcastic voice of Arthur. Alfred glanced up at him. The merman's knowing grin irritated him. The scene yesterday seemed to have renewed his confidence.

For a few moments, Alfred stayed where he was, surveying Arthur, thinking. A steely resolve set in him and, with a new determination, he stood and crossed to the merman. "Okay," he said.

"Er..." said Arthur, looking lost. "'Okay' what?"

"Take me to that place."

"Wha-? You-!" Arthur looked very surprised and a spark of hope seemed to light in his eyes. Alfred ignored this, unsure of what the merman was hopeful for. "You really want to...?"

"Yes," replied Alfred, pulling himself up to his full height and squaring his shoulders. "I want to see things for myself."

After a pause where Arthur surveyed him, the merman flashed him a small smile. "Good. That's good. But first, you're going to need some people you can trust to wheel me there..."

* * *

"I don't like this," whispered Matthew, peering around the glass cylinder. "I mean, I'm all for you getting out and learning about the world and everything but this? Right now? Someone'll catch us, Al."

"Not if that other bloke got rid of the servants between here and that door you were talking about," interjected Arthur, turning his back on Alfred to look at Matthew. To his cousin's credit, Alfred saw that he didn't flinch when Arthur looked at him. He merely grimaced, probably at the thought of Toris not holding up his end of the deal.

"Ah, Toris'll be fine. Dontcha worry," said Alfred, laughing a little. Both Arthur and Matthew flinched at the noise.

"Al!" breathed Matthew.

"Maybe we should stay in your room to teach you how to _keep your voice down_!" hissed Arthur.

"Sorry," said Alfred to Matthew, wincing. He didn't want to acknowledge Arthur: he still wasn't sure about the merman. What if this was all a trap? As such, he wore his sword, concealed by his cloak.

"And I really don't like the choice of location," added Matthew in a murmur.

"Hm," said Arthur, looking Matthew up and down. "Neither do I."

"Then why are we going?" Alfred demanded, frowning. "What's so special that we need to go to somewhere that you hate to be?"

"For what is there," replied Arthur. Alfred noticed Matthew grimacing again. He had the inclination that Matthew knew about the place and why they were going. Being kept in the dark irritated him so he picked up his pace, forcing Mattie to jog to keep up.

When they reached the part of the corridor his parents' chambers were on, they slowed. They had to be careful, quiet. Keeping to the shadows, they willed the old, rusted wheelbarrow to keep as quiet as possible. Alfred hoped the oil he had slathered on it would stop the inevitable squeaking.

Just as they reached the perpendicular corridor, a loud squeak sounded from the wheel. Alfred and Matthew froze, holding their breaths. Arthur flicked his tail lazily, seemingly unaffected by the danger they were in. If they were found...

However, no-one approached so they hurried along the corridor and down the back stairs. These were fairly unused except for the staff but they were – hopefully – being distracted by Toris. Alfred hoped he wouldn't get into trouble later for his part in all this. His friend was from Commersia and, despite his family's high standing that they had made for themselves since arriving in Libertia, his parents could decide to export them. Poor Toris had nightmares about it at times but Alfred had never deigned to ask him why – although he gathered it was because his parents had fled from the king and queen.

Finally, they reached the back door and the gardens which they managed to traverse rather quickly. In the shadows near the back of the gardens was an old door set into the wall. Supposedly, it was for sneaking out of the castle if it was ever under siege. Matthew used it to visit Alfred when the prince begged him to come alleviate his boredom. Now they were using it for its original purpose and Alfred was nervous. He had never done anything like this before. There had never been much need – everything he had wanted had been given to him.

When they reached it, Matthew took out the key Alfred had once found and given to him. Swiftly, he unlocked the door and began to wheel Arthur through. Alfred froze, however, at the threshold. Matthew turned to him. "Al?" he asked, concern on his face.

Arthur snorted, his eyes glinting impossibly in the starlight. "What, you're going to let a merman best you? You can't defy your parents. I could. Does that mean a lowly sea creature is _better_ than you, oh prince of Libertia."

He knew, he really did, that Arthur was just goading him, trying to help him across. That didn't stop him from taking it to heart, though. "Shut up," he growled, shoving at the wheelbarrow. It and Arthur would have gone flying had Matthew not been holding on tight. His cousin stumbled a little but stayed upright, struggling to keep the cylinder up. Worried for Mattie, Alfred leapt forward and caught the thing again, steadying it.

"Well done you," said Arthur, dryly. For a moment Alfred was confused. He chanced a glance behind him and realised that he was now through the doorway.

Alfred, prince of Libertia, was outside of the palace walls without an escort or his parents.

* * *

Matthew was the one to direct them through the streets. They were relatively busy, even though it was night. Alfred found this amazing, feeling proud of his ever-moving citizens. Women in elaborate dresses and men in their formal clothes hurried to large buildings, obviously going to the theatre. The poorer people were sitting in the street or selling some wares. Some drunkards staggered by, their cheeks rosy. However, although everyone had places to be, any who passed by stared at the merman. Arthur's face had returned to his blank expression, almost as though he was trying not to show what he was thinking.

The buildings were all packed close together. Some had signs flapping in the breeze. Others seemed to be houses squashed between the shops. A few stables and workshops were dotted here and there. Horses trotted by, pulling carts full of goods or people. Some of them had suitcases and waved at small crowds watching them go. A girl with flowers handed one to both Matthew and Alfred and, after careful consideration, handed Alfred another one for Arthur. The merman seemed to be touched at this and smiled gently at her. She scurried away, though, obviously still scared of the creature.

It was at that point that Alfred noticed the hostility wafting from the people around them. Ladies glared at them. The men spat at the ground in front of them. One boy picked up a stone and threw it at Arthur. It bounced off the glass and landed harmlessly to the side of their path. Arthur flinched, though, and, soon, more stones were flying.

"What the-?" began Alfred, staring wide-eyed, confused at the violence. He was interrupted when Matthew wordlessly began pushing the wheelbarrow faster. Alfred ran to keep up, dodging projectiles.

"I told you this was a bad idea!" Mattie managed to pant.

"Why are they-?"

"Why do you think!" snapped Arthur from inside the cylinder, flinching every time a stone clacked against the glass.

"But-"

"Shut up and run!"

Alfred did so, relying on Matthew to guide him. Finally, the reached the end of a cobbled street and Matthew swerved, rushing along it a few feet before dragging Alfred and the cylinder along an alleyway. A little ways in, Matthew stopped and both he and Alfred caught their breath. They all watched the small group of assailants – mostly young boys – rush past, obviously intent on hitting Arthur somehow.

"Why?" asked Alfred again as he straightened up.

"Because of what's been happening with some of our ships," replied Matthew. "Don't you know?"

The prince shook his head. He glanced at Arthur. "Have... merpeople been scuttling them?"

"Yeah," sighed Matthew, his gaze also flickering over to Arthur.

Inside his container, Arthur raised an eyebrow. "Well, I have been trying to warn people for twelve years," he said, mildly.

Glaring at Arthur, Alfred shook his head. "C'mon, Mattie. Let's get this over with."

"Well, the back door is along this alley – I thought that would be the best way to get in. Especially if you want Arthur in with you."

Alfred was a little startled at this. He hadn't heard anyone other than himself use Arthur's name before. And he certainly hadn't been using it recently. Mattie truly was a great guy. "Yeah, sure. Let's go."

They continued on their quests, passing by doors. Eventually, there was a thicker door slightly ajar, possibly to help someone cool off. Matthew politely knocked and waited. Finally, a burly man with golden rings adorning his fingers appeared. He had a thick moustache and was balding. His stomach protruded over his breeches and he glowered at Matthew and Alfred.

"What do you want?" he demanded.

Deciding to take over, Alfred stepped forward, bowed and threw back his hood. A flash of recognition passed through the man's eyes and he grinned widely. "I am Prince Alfred of Libertia. There have been many rumours about this place and I would like to see if they are all true – including the good service. Is there any chance we could come in? And could we set up this container somewhere?" He patted the cylinder lightly.

The man's eyes flickered to it before widening, his jaw dropping. A slight tapping noise drew Alfred's attention and he noted that Arthur had backed away as far as he could. "Well, well, well," said the man. "I didn't think I'd see _you_ again."

"Likewise," muttered Arthur.

Glancing between the two, Alfred could only gape. "Y-You two _know_ each other?"

"Yeah," replied the stranger. "I am Donald Crump, sire. A few years ago, I was sold this thing here and used it in my shows. Your parents bought it from me a few weeks ago. Are you here to return it? Or pick up the tools I used for punishment?"

Arthur visibly flinched and he drifted to the bottom of his cylinder, hugging his arms. Alfred quickly shook his head. "N-No. I think I was meant to meet with you to confirm something. It has so-"

"No!" whispered Arthur. "You have to go inside."

"Quiet you!" snarled Donald, seemingly on reflex. He raised a hand and Arthur glared up at him.

"Enough!" cried Alfred, trying to sound imposing and authoritative. "Just... Look, can we get a... seat? At your show?" Surreptitiously, he glanced round at Arthur and received a small nod. Good – seeing the show was important. Not that he needed any more convincing. His parents had lied, always lied. How could they do that? And what should he do about it?

"Of course, Your Highness," said Donald, bowing deeply. "Will you be wanting... your merman to be seated beside you?"

"Yeah," replied Alfred. "Ah, and... If you breathe a word of this to anyone – even my parents – I will make sure this place is shut down. Understand?"

Donald's eyes widened but he nodded and stepped out of the way. Matthew helped Alfred wheel Arthur in and Donald flitted around them, asking questions about refreshments and how close to the stage they wanted to be. Alfred decided on being at the back and they wheeled Arthur through the busy kitchen and into a bar. The air was heavy, perhaps with incense and smoke. A few people were behind the bar, fixing drinks. A lot of the customers were seated facing a low stage, the thick, red curtain lowered. Alfred surveyed the audience – they all seemed to be rich, wearing elegant and intricate clothing.

They set up the cylinder and both Alfred and Matthew sat. A bar-woman came over and took Alfred's order, scurrying away before Matthew could get a word in edgeways. Luckily, before he could start complaining about being ignored again, there was a fanfare from the stage, catching their attention.

Arthur slid down to the bottom of the container. "Did you bring earplugs like I told you to?" he murmured to Alfred.

Nodding, the prince glanced at him. "Yeah. Some for Mattie, too."

"Good. When she opens her mouth, put them in."

"What?" asked Alfred, a little too loudly. "Why?"

"Al," said Mattie, shaking his arm. "It's starting."

Nodding, Alfred turned back to the stage, watching as the curtain was raised. The crowd cheered and those at the bar found seats. Some people wolf-whistled. Alfred and Mattie stared at the stage silently, taking in the scene.

On the stage was a pole which presumably ran into the ceiling. Chains ran from it to a form on the floor. At first, Alfred was confused as to what he was seeing. It looked like a pile of feathers. Then it began to move, rising. A naked woman stood there, feathers attached to her arms and spreading from her shoulders into a pair of large wings. They were golden and seemed to glow brighter than the lights in the small room. Long, dark brown hair was tied back on each side of her head with a set of red ribbons. Fear and nervousness was clearly visible, even from the back of the room. The chains were manacled to her neck and ankles.

The thing was a captured siren.

"I've only ever heard about her," whispered Mattie.

"Her name is Michelle," Arthur told them. "She was- Ah, you should put your earplugs in!"

Sure enough, the siren was opening her mouth. Alfred tried to stuff the wads of cotton into his ears but fumbled and dropped one. He bent over to pick it up – and froze as she began to sing.

She was utterly captivating. Her voice was like melted chocolate, pouring over him. Or maybe like velvet, wrapped around him in a tight embrace. Maybe it was the sunshine after the rain, birds chirping in delight. It reached out to him and enveloped him, pulling him towards her.

Alfred absolutely had to approach her.

Slowly, he stood up, shuffling forward. If he moved too fast, would he scare her away? He hoped not – it was taking all of his strength to stop himself from rushing the stage, picking her up in his arms and running off with her. In fact, why wasn't he doing just that?

"For the love of the Ocean, Alfred, listen to me!" he heard someone shout, a dull thumping noise coming from behind him. Whoever it was, even if they knew him, he wished they'd stop.

The siren's eyes, closed for her singing, snapped open. She faltered and stopped, staring over Alfred's shoulder as he came back to himself. Somehow, he had managed to make it halfway to the stage – and so had most of the people in the bar. Shocked, Alfred turned and rushed back to his seat. No wonder sirens were considered dangerous!

As he collapsed back onto his chair and a worried Matthew had handed him the second earplug, the siren called out. "Arthur? Arthur, is that you? I thought you had gotten out!"

"Michelle!" cried Arthur. "Don't! Don't stop! Keep going – don't worry about me!"

"Arthur!" Michelle shouted once again. She started forward, straining to get to Arthur who was pressed against the glass, shaking his head and calling out warnings. The siren paid the bar and Arthur no heed, flapping her wings in an attempt to get closer to him. However, she winced and stopped, slumping down on the ground once again, miserably.

It was then that Alfred noticed what Arthur had wanted him to see.

Four chains ran from the pole. One for her neck, two for her ankles – and one had pierced her wing. There would be no escape for her, forever trapped, forced to sing.

Alfred gaped. How could this be happening? This was wrong. And Arthur knew this siren and the owner. He glanced at the merman who was now staring back at him with his inhuman eyes, bright and shining.

Suddenly, the curtain was dropped and the room was in an uproar. Protests and jeers sounded from the men. Some of them turned on Arthur, realising that he was what had caused the abrupt end.

"We need to get out of here," Matthew muttered. Alfred nodded his agreement, still a little stunned and helped Matthew to manoeuvre the wheelbarrow back out of the building, this time using the front door so as not to run into Donald. They walked a little faster than on the way out, eager to get home and into safety.

* * *

No-one had been discovered, no-one had seen them, Matthew and Toris were on their way home and Arthur was back in Alfred's room. Back in his glass prison. For, now that Alfred had seen the harsh treatment of the siren, he realised that was exactly what it was.

"What did they...?" asked Alfred, cautiously, as he sat cross-legged on the floor in front of Arthur. The merman was curled at the bottom of the container so that they were level.

"I'd rather not think on it," he replied with a shudder.

"Did you get forced to sing, too?" asked Alfred.

"Yes."

"They didn't stick a chain-"

"No." Arthur hit the glass. "I can't get out." He hit again. "See?"

"Gods, I'm so sorry Arthur..."

"You know, I think that's the first time you called me that since I got here. Again."

Alfred grimaced. "Sorry. It's just... They're my parents. I'm supposed to trust them and believe them and do what they say."

"Even if you're itching to get out of here and see the world?" asked Arthur. "I saw the way you looked around your city. You've never seen anything like it, have you?"

With a shake of his head, Alfred said, "No." Whenever the royals were in the city, the citizens were all cleaned up and well-behaved.

"Then go out," said Arthur, smiling a little.

"What?" Alfred frowned in confusion. "I don't-"

"Your parents are leaving soon – take your ship. Sail away."

"But... What about you?"

Arthur tilted his head, thinking. "Well... There are others. This oppression isn't limited to Libertia. Take me with you and I can show you."

"Won't you try to get free?" asked Alfred, unsure whether he should listen to him or not. If his parents found out they'd be furious. Yet...

"Of course," said Arthur, grinning a little. "As soon as I can, I want to go home. I haven't seen my family for twelve years." Alfred grimaced at that and opened his mouth to speak. Arthur cut him off, though. "I know you want to let me go now, but you can't without your parents finding out about your excursion or being angry. You should make a tank large enough to fit me in. Then I can come in the ship with you. I could be left in the cabin. It would be nice to have some room to move, by the way, before you build it. I'm rather cramped in here."

For a few seconds, Alfred took this in. "Doesn't that mean you're willingly keeping yourself trap-"

"I'm not doing anything of the sort!" snapped Arthur.

"Really?"

"No! I... The other- It's none of your bloody business why I'm offering you advice! Just damn well take it and I can be home before winter." Arthur scowled at him, as if daring him to argue.

"Okay, okay. So: get tank, find crew, sneak off without the city knowing, get back from wherever before my parents do." He frowned at Arthur. "Do you really think we'll be able to do all that."

"Well, since this is all going to be implemented by you, it's rather more that _you_ will be able to do it." Arthur's hand raised to his necklace and gripped it. He smiled softly as his eyes bored into Alfred's. "I have complete faith in you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I took liberties with the description of the siren. Mainly because, ages ago, I wrote down all the half-humans that'd be around. Sirens was one listed but they either appear to be naked women or look similar to harpies. When the harpies turn up, they'll look slightly different. And they all have different specialties, too.


	3. A Ship's Journey

"So?" asked Arthur a few days later as Alfred returned from an excursion with his cousin.

Pulling off his gloves, Alfred grinned. "Mattie still hates the idea. But someone did accept my commission and will be working on it over the rest of the week."

"When do your parents leave?"

"On Sunday night," replied Alfred, throwing the gloves onto his bed. "So we can leave at dawn on Monday morning."

"Good." Arthur smiled at him as Alfred turned back to the container. "The sooner we do this, the better."

"Really? Why would that be?" Alfred asked, curiously, as he unfastened the clasp on his cloak.

"If you were to demand better treatment for half-humans, you will either get your way or at least get your parents to consider the idea. So I think that should happen as soon as possible." Arthur paused, suddenly, his bright eyes glancing away.

"What?"

"Well, er..."

"Arthur..."

"I just- There is another thing that could happen which would not be very good, not for your family, at least," he admitted, his hand going for his necklace. He grasped it and fiddled with it between thumb and forefinger. "It could... create a rift between you and your parents."

"Like, arguing?"

"Yes."

"Don't worry about it – we've been arguing for weeks now about being allowed to sail off on my own." Alfred flashed him an encouraging smile.

"If you are sure..."

"Sure I'm sure – I went out for a tank, didn't I?"

* * *

Although he still didn't want to trust Arthur completely, Alfred found himself excitedly chattering away to him as time wore on. It would be the first time he had done anything against his parents' wishes, the first time he had seen the world through his own glasses instead of the parent-tinted ones. They talked mostly in the evening and usually about the progression of their plans.

The tank built for Arthur was huge when he went back a few days before their arranged departure. He knew that it would comfortably fit Arthur in it and he would be able to swim slightly. Of course, it wouldn't be as big as the pool he had swum in twelve years ago, but it would be better than being in the tall tube.

He ordered the tank to be taken to the ship on the night of his parents' departure. Matthew had agreed to supervise it which Alfred was grateful for and he promised to bring back lots of presents to repay his kind deed. Then he made sure that he packed enough clothes for a few weeks and hid the bags. Once again, he roped in Toris and, this time, Tony, another servant who was willing to help him. Arthur initially disapproved of asking Tony to help – he felt that it was unsafe to employ someone unknown to keep the secret. Apparently, the more people who knew about it, the more he was uncomfortable and the more likely it would be that someone undesirable would discover their plans. Alfred ordered him to shut up and stop worrying which, thankfully, he did.

Finally, Alfred's parents were ready to leave and they visited their son in his room before they left. They hugged him and apologised for leaving him behind, like they did every year. Alfred told them it was fine, like he had for the past few years – he did not need anyone looking after him any more.

"Well, just remember, if you get scared in the middle of the night, the servants are under strict instructions to come and comfort you," his mother told him.

"Mother!" he cried, glancing at Arthur who was trying not to look amused. When his parents turned towards him, though, he put on his blank mask and stared at the ceiling.

"If you want to have a party," his father said now, "we will not mind – just try not to break anything."

Puzzled, Alfred stared at them. "A party? Why would I have a party?"

The queen giggled. "Why, Alfred, I would expect you to want to find yourself a princess."

"A- Wha-? Er..." Alfred shifted uncomfortably, blushing and avoiding everyone's gazes. "I... I had not considered that," he mumbled.

Clapping a hand on his shoulder, his father chuckled before looking to his wife. "We have embarrassed the boy. I think, perhaps, we should make our way out."

"Indeed. Farewell, Alfred. Behave yourself."

"Yes, mother," sighed Alfred. "Goodbye."

Once they had left the room, closing the door behind them, Alfred turned to find Arthur holding a hand to his mouth, his body shaking. For a moment, Alfred was unsure as to what was wrong. Then Arthur took the equivalent of a deep breath, his hand held away from his face slightly, and let out a bark of laughter before trying to push the laughter back in.

"Oh, shut up," grumbled Alfred and flopped onto his bed.

* * *

Alfred was woken by the brunette, gentle Toris shaking him. Tony, a smaller boy with thin blonde hair and a constant blank expression, was with him. Arthur was watching him suspiciously from his container, bobbing slightly and flicking his tail. Grudgingly, he rose and got dressed before gathering his bags. Tony took them and Alfred turned his attention to helping Toris with the container.

"Wait," said Arthur, softly. "You should take your sword – we don't know what could happen."

Hesitating, Alfred stared at him. "Are you taking me somewhere dangerous?"

"Hardly," Arthur replied with a scoff. "But one can never be too careful."

With a sigh and a shrug, Alfred tied his sword to his belt. Then he pulled on his cloak, remembered only because he found it near his sword. "Okay. Ready now. Let's get going."

Toris gave him a nod and they detached the container with a hiss. Awkwardly, they manoeuvred it to the wheelbarrow and lowered it in till it was balanced properly. Arthur kept watch over them, unable to do much.

"Have you got it?" Alfred muttered to Toris.

"Yes. Are you sure about this, Alfred?" he asked.

"Yeah, don't worry about me. I'll be fine."

They sneaked through the castle, keeping silent, the only sounds their breathing and the rustle of their clothes. Lazily, Arthur flicked his tail, observing their progress as they pushed the barrow towards the servant's stairs. This time, there were people awake and no-one to stop them discovering them.

Reaching the spiralling back staircase, they sent Tony down first. Each time, he would hurry forward, taking care not to go out of their sight. After peering around the corner, he would gesture forward if it was safe to come. Fortunately, they did not need to retreat and they met no-one on the stairs.

Sneaking out of the back door was more harrowing as there were guards visible throughout the garden. Alfred swore there were more patrolling the grounds than normal. This would not usually have bothered him but now he wished his parents weren't so obsessed with his safety. He could take care of himself and they would see that if they would just let him prove it.

Tony timed their emergence from the shadows of the castle impeccably and they rushed across the gardens. The wheelbarrow, however, seemed to have other ideas and began to squeak, a high-pitched noise that was sure to carry. Cursing now, Alfred picked up the pace, grabbing at Toris's elbow to make sure he wouldn't fall behind. By the time they actually reached the door in the wall, all three of them were out of breath. Arthur stared at them blankly.

Finally, Alfred was able to quickly unlock and push open the last barrier to his escape. They piled through and Alfred pulled it closed and locked it.

"You should pull up your hood, Al," whispered Toris, still glancing around nervously.

"Yeah," breathed Alfred, tugging at it till he was shielded from view. "Let's go, then."

* * *

It hadn't exactly been an uneventful trip through the streets of the city, what with the stones and the jeering, but they had made it relatively unscathed, probably because most people were still sleeping indoors. The only damage was a slight scratch along Arthur's container where a pebble had skimmed along it. Alfred had been worried that the pressure of the water and Arthur's weight would have caused it to crack but the glass was thick and the prison held.

By the time they were climbing onto the ship, the sun had risen and its rays were colouring the cobbles in a rosy glow. Small houses lining the streets flung their wooden shutters open to welcome the light. And people began to emerge from their hiding places to greet the day. The smell of the sea was stronger as they got closer to the harbour and Alfred took a deep breath, smiling happily. Sounds were drowned out by the bustling of sailors on the ship and the dock, moving to and fro with purpose. Alfred hoped he would be allowed to help once they had gotten Arthur settled.

On the deck, Matthew was waiting. "Alfred, I'm still not-"

"Hey, Mattie!" Alfred cut him off, grinning widely. "Where's the tank?"

"It's up on the poop deck, behind the wheel. But, A-"

"Cool! Come on, you two!" cried Alfred, excitedly leading them off through the busy sailors.

He heard Matthew sigh behind him but didn't react. His cousin had been protesting this course of action since he had asked for his help. At some point, though, Matthew had realised how pointless it really was to go against his decision and tried to make him take Matthew, Toris or even Tony. Alfred had refused however: he didn't want anyone bar himself getting into trouble for the merman's idea.

They trooped up to where a man was standing, running his fingers over the new, wooden steering wheel. He turned as they approached and inclined his head in a sort of bow. His brown hair was a mess, two strands in particular sticking up. A large bandage had been stuck over his nose and Alfred wondered what had happened. However, his grin was as broad as any of Alfred's and he took an instant liking to him. The man was wearing a long coat, a cutlass strapped to his waist, a pistol in a holster low on his belt. Alfred presumed he was the captain.

"Hey, mates," said the man. "Name's Riley; good to meetcha." He held out a hand which Alfred shook heartily. "Ah, got a good grip on you. Well, I'll let you get settled in. Let me know if you need anything. We'll set sail as soon as your friends get off the ship."

"Awesome." Alfred turned to the others. "Let's get Art- Arthur into the tank."

So, for a good few minutes, the men struggled with the container. The new one was larger than Alfred had thought possible, coming up to his chest. It was also a few strides wide, big enough for Arthur to swim around in circles, at least. The four of them lifted it up to the right height and Tony, who was slightly too short to hold it up comfortably, let go briefly to open it up.

It happened quickly: as soon as it was open, the container moved. Matthew and Toris gasped while Alfred cried out, water splashing onto the deck. There was a flash of green and a splash and, suddenly, Alfred could see Arthur's eyes staring impassively back at him from the larger tank. Then the original container slipped from Alfred's grip and landed with a clang on the wooden floor, water flying in every direction.

Alfred glared at Arthur. "You could have warned us," he snapped.

The half-human shrugged. "Sorry," he murmured.

With an annoyed grunt, Alfred turned to the people who had helped him escape. "Right, well, thank you for helping me. I won't forget it, promise."

Matthew tried one last time. "Al-"

"Mattie." Alfred frowned. "I'm going and you can't stop me."

There was a weighty pause as the men around them listened in. Finally, Matthew nodded. "Okay. When you get back, though, come find me. I want to make sure you're safe – and you can tell me all about everything you've seen, too."

"Will do!" Alfred pulled him in for a hug. "And you two behave yourselves," he added to Toris and Tony. They both nodded but stepped back from the range of his arms.

Alfred watched them go before turning to Arthur. "Well," he said before grinning at him. Arthur responded with a small smile of his own, waiting for Alfred to continue. "We did it."

"Indeed we did. Though, this is just the first step. We have yet to set sail."

"Oh, yeah!" Alfred turned to Riley. "Hey, can I help with anything?"

"Nah," Riley replied. "It should be a pretty simple voyage. The weather's fair and we're going to Oropa first, aye?" At a nod from Alfred, he continued, "Well, that ain't too far so we'll be there before the weather worsens, I should think."

Hearing Arthur mutter something behind him, Alfred turned. "Huh?"

"Ah, nothing," said Arthur, quickly, glancing away.

"Right..." said Alfred, slowly, frowning at him.

"Riley!" shouted someone from behind him and he spun back to look. A shorter sailor had rushed up to the captain. For a moment, Alfred was unsure whether the person was a man or a woman but he noticed the trousers and realised that he was definitely male. Unless she was cross-dressing. Either way, their hair was light and short, with two giant curls on either side of their head. They were smiling happily and nodded in Alfred's direction.

"Yeah?" answered the captain.

"We're all set. Are we going to go now?"

"Uh huh. Get them to weigh anchor and hoist the sails."

"Aye, aye!" cried the man before turning to the rest of the ship to bellow out the orders. "WEIGH ANCHOR! HOIST THE SAILS!"

There was a sudden flurry of activity as several sailors started to haul on ropes, the curly-haired man rushing off, too. The white sails dropped slowly until the wind had caught in them. Alfred watched them all excitedly, noting the various jobs people were undertaking. Beside him, the captain gripped the steering wheel and grinned as the ship slowly started to inch forward.

"This is so cool!" Alfred exclaimed.

"Aye? You like it, do you?"

"Yeah! Can I help out some time?"

Riley's eyes surveyed Alfred. "If you think you're up to it, Your Highness."

Alfred grinned but he heard a snort behind him and he turned in surprise. Arthur was looking at him with a smirk, his elbows resting against the edge of the tank. His tail was cutting through the water below him, moving hypnotically from side to side. Messy blonde hair was stuck to his forehead which, had Alfred not been annoyed at the interruption, he would have thought his unusual appearance to be funny.

"What?" Alfred demanded.

"Nothing...'Your Highness'," he replied in a mocking tone.

"What's your problem?" snapped Alfred, confused at the switch from subdued to hostile.

"Being a prince is not going to be enough to help when the ship gets into trouble. You know nothing about sailing, do you? You are only going to end up hurting someone or losing them over the side of the ship."

Glaring at the merman, he stuck his nose in the air. "I can learn to work before that happens."

Arthur surveyed him. "Do what you want," he murmured, averting his eyes and gazing over Alfred's shoulder.

The young prince growled at his manner and spun to the captain. "Teach me everything you know!"

"Sure thing," Riley replied, obviously having listened in. "Charlie! Come up here and take over the helm!"

"Yessir!" came the answering shout.

With a final glare at Arthur, Alfred followed the captain down the steps. "So. What does this do?" he asked, pointing at a random rope.

* * *

The ship had been made by the best of the shipwrights in Libertia. Large pieces of sweeping wood, sanded down to be as smooth as possible, were connected intricately with barely discernible nails. They had lacquered the railings, the sun gleaming from the slight reflection. The sails were made of the finest cloth, the bright, clean white of it causing a glare. Cannons were fixed to the deck and encased the inhabitants in a bubble of protection. Ropes criss-crossed above them, looping down to be tied onto their eyes. Men moved up and down in a pattern Alfred could not decipher.

By the time they had walked around the whole deck, Alfred had been told the terms of each part of the ship, and he realised that he wouldn't remember all of it. He wondered if all the sailors knew everything about the ship. Then he decided that he would absolutely not tell Arthur about those thoughts; he didn't fancy being mocked again.

Speaking of Arthur, when they got back to the helm, Alfred found he wasn't in the tank. "What the-?" he began before glancing round and spotting the merman gradually dragging himself to the edge of the ship. "Hey!" he cried, angry now. He watched Arthur jolt in surprise before twisting round to look behind him, his blonde hair still plastered to his forehead. His eyes were wide with fear but Alfred didn't care as he stomped over and lifted him by his waist. "What do you think you're doing?!"

"Did you think I would sit in there when I am so close!" cried Arthur, his tail flopping sadly.

"You said you would come with me!" Alfred shouted as he staggered back to the tank. "What in the gods' names is your problem?!"

"Twelve years! I have not seen the sea in twelve years!" Arthur flicked his tail as powerfully as he could; once, twice. Then he seemed to droop and Alfred could finally hoist him up and back into the tank.

"But how am I supposed to go wherever it is you want me to go if you disappear?!" Alfred glared at Arthur who had sunk to the bottom for the tank and looked up at him sadly, his hair floating around him serenely. With a sigh, Alfred sank to his level and crossed his legs. "Come on, Arthur. This is supposed to be some sort of coming-of-age journey, yes? Don't give up on me just yet."

Those fingers found the necklace again. "You don't trust me," he said, plainly. Alfred only shrugged in response. "Humans tend to do that. And I just want to go home."

"Take me where I'm going first and then... well, we will see." For a moment, they stared at each other, Alfred vaguely aware of the captain and his first mate behind them. Sighing suddenly, he raised his hand to the glass and pressed his hand against it. "Promise me you'll get me there before you try to escape again."

Arthur seemed to consider this before nodding and pressing his hand against the glass, too. "I promise," he agreed, nodding at Alfred.

* * *

Although he had promised to stay, Alfred found that he still didn't exactly trust him. The promise could be a lie the imprisoned merman didn't feel he had to keep – especially since Alfred was a jailer of sorts. So he had Charlie and Riley help him attach the black lid that evening. Arthur didn't complain and even welcomed it, saying that he would probably try to squirm away once they were further out to sea.

With that done, Alfred retreated to his cabin. Since he was a prince, his cabin was a stately room, filled with plush cushions and fine silks. The bed was as big as they could fit, multiple pillows stacked on it. Drapes were tied back, able to hide whoever wished for privacy. There was a desk and a filled bookcase with intellectual books and maps. A globe stood in a corner and Alfred idly spun it as he entered.

When he rose the next morning, he dressed hurriedly in a simple top and trousers and rushed to the deck and Arthur's tank. He was worried that Arthur might have somehow removed the lid and escaped. There was no need to be anxious, though, as Arthur was lying curled up and at the bottom of the tank, seemingly deeply asleep. His hair still floated around him, meaning that the merman would never truly be still. The bone part of the necklace rested by one of his hands and Alfred wondered if he had been holding it when he fell asleep.

The rest of the ship was waking and beginning their morning duties, some of them glancing at Alfred curiously. He slipped away, heading for the kitchens to ask for his breakfast. Delighted, the cook served him some bacon and eggs and even gave him a fish and some seaweed for Arthur. After eating at a scrubbed table in the galley, he made his way back to the merman.

This time, he was awake and gazed at him as he approached, the unnatural shining eyes unnerving Alfred a little. Charlie, Riley and another man took off the lid and set it aside so that Alfred could hand over the food. Arthur rose and leaned on the edge of the tank, calmly taking the food with a nod.

"Uh, you want me to turn around?" Alfred asked. He had not once seen Arthur eat: the merman ate fast and always when his back was turned. Alfred wasn't sure if he was uncomfortable with people watching him.

"If you would like," Arthur answered him, with a shrug. "It is not very pleasant to watch me eat." He shook the raw fish slightly by way of explanation and, understanding, Alfred spun around and headed to the wheel which Riley was standing next to.

"Hey," he said, by way of greeting, trying not to imagine Arthur eating his scaly prize. "How long is it going to take to get to Oropa?"

"We've got good wind, Majesty," replied Riley. "Should be there in a couple o' days."

"Cool."

"We are lucky," said Arthur behind them. It seemed that he had finished eating, as fast as usual. "The weather will be fair for a time, I believe."

"Oh?" asked Alfred, looking at him with interest. He tried not to laugh at Arthur's damp hair, clinging to his forehead.

"Mm," Arthur responded. "Any storms have blown themselves out."

"Awesome."

"Mm."

"You sound a little worried, there," said Alfred with a laugh. "Is there something you aren't telling us?"

"No. I am just wondering how long it will last."

* * *

With the wind in their favour, they made good headway on their voyage. Alfred kept himself busy by learning the ropes of the ship, helping everyone whenever he could. Occasionally, he would find himself at the helm, listening to the captain's stories of swash-buckling and derring-do. In the evenings, when most of the men would eat and drink, Alfred found himself leaning against the tank, talking to Arthur, getting to know him once again. It was much more difficult than he thought it would be: Arthur did not want to dwell on his years in captivity and some of it had been harsh. It made Alfred feel guilty so he usually filled their conversation with what he had been doing instead. Arthur would chip in with a glib comment and that was how their arguments would start. Alfred found it different from the norm and found himself enjoying himself, as though they were friends teasing each other.

One day, when they were getting close to Oropa, Alfred approached the tank with Arthur's evening meal. Some men lifted the lid as he reached it and he nodded his thanks as they disappeared for their own dinner. Handing it over, Alfred wordlessly moved around the tank and watched the wake of the ship from the stern, lit by the lanterns hanging there.

"Hey," said Alfred as he turned round. Arthur had already finished and was watching him. "Can I ask you something?"

"Probably," answered the merman, raising an eyebrow.

With a put-upon sigh, Alfred corrected himself. " _May_ I?"

"Well, you did. But what is it?"

"There are loads of stories of mermaids being able to walk on land and stuff," explained Alfred. "Is it actually possible?"

"Only if you know the spell."

"Spell?"

"Yes: there are a few sea witches in the ocean. Only they know how to walk. Of course, they can teach whoever they want the spell, but you either have to show promise with magic or be someone important." Arthur sighed, leaning his elbows on the edge of the tank. "I was going to ask the nearest witch to teach me when I was old enough. Now I'm stuck like this." He waved his tail, strong enough to hit against the glass with a loud thud. Alfred jumped and Arthur grinned at him. "But, when I get home, I am definitely making the witch my first stop."

"Should you not go to your family?" asked Alfred, a little confused.

"Oh. Yes, I meant that it would be my first stop after I had spoken with my father and brothers."

"You have brothers?"

"Huh? Have I not told you about them before?"

Alfred shook his head. "You don't tell me much of anything," he pointed out.

"Well, I have four older brothers, each with a different coloured tail. That is rare in merpeople. Usually brothers and sisters will have the same colour as at least one of their parents or a mix of the two colours. My brothers have red, blue, yellow and orange."

"Really?" Alfred laughed and moved closer to lean on the tank beside him. "Wow, it'd be like a rainbow."

"A what?" asked Arthur, frowning.

Taken aback, Alfred stared at him. "You don't know what a rainbow is?"

"No...?"

"It is something you see when it is raining and sunny at the same time. It has all the colours you and your brothers have."

With furrowed eyebrows, Arthur tilted his head in confusion. "It just appears?"

"Yeah, an arch in the sky. And, if you can follow it to the end, you get a pot of gold."

"Really? Why?"

The prince blinked. "Why?" he echoed. "Because... it's lucky, I think."

"It is?"

"Yeah. There was a farmer who followed one when he was in poverty and about to die. He found the gold and was able to support his family and himself for the rest of his life."

"That sounds... odd," said Arthur, still trying to puzzle it out. "If we see one, you need to point it out."

"Of course."

"And my brothers are not like a rainbow – they are distinctly unlucky. Pray you never meet them."

Alfred laughed. "Shall do."

* * *

"Land ho!" came a shout a few days later.

"Really?" cried Alfred, turning from his argument with Arthur.

Riley pulled out his spyglass and put it to his eye. With a slight nod, he handed it over to Alfred who pressed it eagerly to his own. He could just make out a large shadow on the horizon. It wasn't terribly exciting but he handed the spyglass back with a large grin and settled in to wait for it to get closer.

When they were eventually near enough to see it without aid, Alfred noticed that Oropa was very green. Libertia had a lot of towns and villages close to each other and the prince had always found that the land was more brown and grey, the buildings standing tall around them. In contrast, Oropa's coast looked as though it was dressed in its finery, with golden beaches and a deep green where the forests towered above them. As they continued on, wide fields of wheat and grass separated the forest from the beautiful, white-washed buildings. The people they could see wore bright colours and waved at them cheerfully. Further along, they could see large fields of flowers, some of which Alfred couldn't identify. Arthur was able to point out a few of them as, apparently, patrons at the bar had sometimes left Michelle flowers and the siren would kindly teach Arthur about them.

At one point, the land looped in on itself, creating a lovely secluded area which they had to pass by. Alfred, who had managed to claim the spyglass, was surveying the beach when he was surprised when a face came into view. With a gasp, he lowered it before putting it back up and refocussing so that he could see the whole person. His resulting sharp intake of breath attracted Arthur's attention.

"Oh, for goodness' sake, what is it?" he demanded.

The person who was on the beach had brown hair with a curl sticking out and bobbing in the breeze. He was watching the ship with a happy smile. Beside him was someone Alfred presumed to be his brother; they looked identical except for the scowl on the second one as he tried to get the first to move away. They were both shirtless and Alfred could tell that their torso was thin yet strong. But the most remarkable thing about them was that their bodies stopped at their waist, much like Arthur. Beneath that was the body of what appeared to be grey horses, though they were rather small for full-grown horses. Then the one with scowl turned and Alfred could see that his tail was not that of a horse; rather, it was that of a donkey.

"It's a centaur!" Alfred exclaimed, gesturing with his hand as he kept his eye on them. "Weird looking ones!"

He didn't know whether Arthur looked where he was pointing but he did say, "Ah. Well, those are not centaurs. You had best not mix them up."

Lowering the spyglass, Alfred frowned. "Then what are they?"

"Onocentaurs," Arthur replied. "They are good friends of the merpeople, you know. Badly treated by others, though, since they have the bodies of asses. Tend to keep themselves to themselves."

"Wow," said Alfred, turning back to watch as the scowling onocentaur succeeded in convincing the happier one to follow him. "I've never even heard of them."

"I _did_ say you knew nothing of the world."

"Hey!" cried Alfred, spinning to him and waving the spyglass at him. "You wouldn't even be here, if not for me!"

Arthur smirked at him for a moment before his face softened into a small smile. "Yes. And for that I am thankful."

At that point, Riley approached and clapped a hand on Alfred's back. "Well, sire, we'll be there in two shakes of a lamb's tail!"

"Really?"

"Nah. It'll take us till tomorrow to reach the capital. That _is_ where you're going, right?"

"Uh..." Alfred glanced at Arthur.

"Yes, it is," Arthur replied for him. "His Highness wants to visit Prince Francis."

"Ah." Riley grimaced. "I hope you have fun." And, with that, Riley wandered off once more, leaving Alfred with Arthur.

"What was that?"

"Hm?" asked Arthur, rather innocently.

"He pulled a face when you mentioned Francis. Why?"

Oddly, Arthur also grimaced and glanced away. "From what I have heard, Francis is a bit of a... well, flirt, I suppose. He does it often to sailors and they are not exactly too fond of it."

"Why are we going to see him?"

"Honestly, Alfred, do you know _nothing_ about diplomacy? You cannot go gallivanting around the forests of Oropa without announcing yourself first. Besides, I am sure Francis will know how to find what we are looking for."

"What _are_ we looking for?" sighed Alfred, exasperatedly.

"Everything," was Arthur's shrugged reply.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Onocentaurs are actual things - and by that, I mean, it comes from actual mythology. And it also comes from actual mythology that they are associated with merpeople. I chose those two to be onocentaurs because, I dunno, I don't see them as centaurs.


End file.
